Team Focus: Toffees Coming Unstuck Due to Age & Depth of Defence
After another disappointing showing in cup defeat to Swansea on Tuesday night Roberto Martinez claimed that his defence was "something we (Everton) need to address". It's been a tough start to the season for a side that were previously built upon a solid backbone that were extremely hard to break down.
David Moyes certainly had the team well-drilled in his latter years at the club and Martinez successfully managed to strike a balance between free-flowing, progressive football and defensive solidity last season. Only Chelsea and Manchester City conceded fewer goals in the league (39) but fast-forward a matter of months and Everton are suddenly looking far from secure at the back.
For the team perhaps most familiar with one another in the league after the summer's transfer dealings, with by far the most significant outlay in the window going on former loanee Romelu Lukaku, you wouldn't expect the Toffees to be leaking so many goals. Christian Atsu and Samuel Eto'o are the only players to have started a league game - having done so just the once each - that didn't play for the club last season.
Martinez's faith in the defensive players among the ranks was clear, with no new arrivals across the back line. When you look at the age of the players at his disposal, however, that may well have been an error of judgement.
Tony Hibbert (33) was handed a new deal to act as cover for Seamus Coleman while Phil Jagielka (32) and Sylvain Distin (36) began the season as the favoured centre-back pairing for a remarkable sixth season running. Behind them, this is Tim Howard's (35) ninth campaign as the club's number one, having taken the reins from none other than Nigel Martyn back in 2006!
It's a familiarity that has certainly served Everton well to now, but errors are finding their way into the games of the club's most experienced players. Club captain Phil Jagielka certainly isn't past it by any means but his form has dipped over the past year, while the seemingly evergreen Distin's reliability is beginning to fade. Of course, there is John Stones in reserve and much is expected of the youngster but beyond that the only other centre-back in the first team squad is Antolin Alcaraz - another ageing defender that can't rely on the same quality of his counterparts.
In their 6 matches in domestic competition Everton have conceded at least twice in 5. Thirteen goals have been shipped in the league alone - Everton played 1420 minutes of Premier League action before conceding as many last season - and no side in Europe's top 5 divisions has a more porous defensive record thus far, with 2.6 conceded per game. The worry is that in the most part it's been all their own doing, rather than unstoppable attacking moments from their opponents.
The Merseysiders have conceded two more shots due to individual errors than any other side in Europe's top 5 leagues (9) and 5 have led directly to goals. No player has committed more such mistakes in the Premier League than Phil Jagielka (3), with Howard, Distin, Osman, Coleman, Atsu and Besic Everton's other guilty culprits this season.
Over a campaign in which they will need to be fitter than ever due to the demands of European football the Toffees have made a sluggish start. There may have only been 5 games played but Everton are at the bottom of the interceptions chart by some distance, with just 8.4 per game - a drop from 12.2 last season. The relatively small squad may well profit from the midweek cup exit, with Martinez keen to stress that his side will not be taking the Europa League lightly after a tricky group draw.
This weekend's derby with Liverpool already has the feeling of having more than just local pride at stake. Both sides have had somewhat of a false start on the domestic front and need to get wins on the board.
Failure to do so would represent Everton's worst start to the season since 2010, and parallels can be drawn from the start of a campaign that both Merseyside rivals got off to a slow start, only to finish 6th (Liverpool) and 7th (Everton) respectively. Everton came out on top in the first derby of that season but have failed to win in the league at Anfield since 1999.
It's early days but the initial signs suggest that Everton's lack of strength in depth in defensive areas could cost them ahead of a demanding schedule. Usurping last season's record Premier League points tally (72) may well be beyond them. Ensuring that the club remain in the Europa League qualification places will no doubt be the aim, with rebuilding work needed next summer.
Do you think Everton should have bolstered their defensive ranks in the summer? Let us know in the comments below
Prior to the derby, I would have agreed, but in that game Everton looked fairly solid at the back, as they did when Jagielka and Stones partnered each other against Wolfsburg and West Brom. At left back they are strong, with Baines backed up by Oviedo – indeed, Oviedo is such a good player that Martinez seems to want to convert him into a central midfielder and/or inside right forward, so that he can get a game when Baines is playing. Right back seemed more problematic prior to the derby because of Coleman's injury. However, Hibbert did fairly well defensively before understandably tiring, while Browning was a revelation, in that he had the forward thrust and pace that HIbbert lacked. The way he shepherded Sterling off the ball just after he came on was also pretty cool. In the centre, meanwhile, Jagielka now seems comfortable playing on the left, despite having spent the past six years playing to the right of Distin. And Stones looks remarkably composed. Optimism restored?
I suppose that another advantage of Jagielka playing on the left of central defence is that he can come inside and swing that right foot of his!